Diabetes entails major health risks including coronary heart disease, kidney failure and blindness. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes is the sixth leading cause of deaths in the U.S. Type II diabetes or adult onset diabetes, is the most prevalent form of diabetes accounting for 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases. Gestational diabetes is another major type of diabetes. Gestational diabetes is specific to pregnant women and endangers the health of the mother and her baby.
Diabetic Nephropathy
High blood sugar level may cause diabetic nephropathy or kidney damage, especially when the patient also suffers from high blood pressure. Patients having family history of kidney ailments, high blood pressure or patients who cannot control blood pressure or blood sugar levels are vulnerable to diabetic nephropathy. Symptoms show up late in this disease when the kidney's functionality is already declining. Persistent presence of albumin in urine is a key indicator of diabetic nephropathy. Nephropathy is one of the prime causes of illness and death among diabetic patients. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is a major cause of long-term kidney failure and a last-stage kidney disease in the U.S.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Prolonged diabetes damages the eye's retina, known as diabetic retinopathy. Constant high blood glucose and blood pressure damages the blood vessels on the surface of the retina. At first, the patient develops non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy that can interfere with eyesight. The advanced stage of this disease is proliferative retinopathy. When older blood vessels in retina get damaged, the retina tries to mend itself by releasing growth chemicals producing tiny blood vessels, which are very fragile. Due to their delicate structure, these newly developed blood vessels get damaged easily often causing bleeding on the retina's surface. The National Institutes of Health says that diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans. Symptoms do not show until it becomes severe. Diabetics can increase their chances of avoiding this disease by maintaining control over their blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
The Mayo Clinic calls diabetic ketoacidosis a serious complication of diabetes. It is caused when the body has low levels of insulin. This results in higher blood sugar levels because, in the absence of insulin, the energy-producing cells of body are unable to absorb glucose. The body then tries to break down fats for drawing energy in absence of glucose. This leads to production of toxic acids called ketones in the body. Without treatment, diabetic ketoacidosis can cause the death of the patient. Type I or juvenile diabetics are more susceptible to ketoacidosis.
